Cannabis oil is the concentrated liquid extract of the Cannabis sativa, the cannabis or marijuana plant. It is a thick, green oily substance. (If it is brown in colour it is probably full of toxins and should be avoided). Cannabis plants produce thousands of compounds. The most well-known for their specific properties or uses, belong to a class called cannabinoids. There are different cannabinoid compounds, but the two most well-known, are THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol).

THC is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, which means that this is the compound that makes people “high”. Despite being a psychoactive compound, THC still possesses medicinal traits. CBD on the other hand has no psychoactive effects and is better known for its medicinal or healing properties. Both THC and CBD act on the human body’s natural cannabinoid receptors which are involved in many processes such as memory, pain, and appetite.

Cannabis oil goes by a number of confusing names, which include Marijuana oil, Cannabinoid oil, Hemp oil, Hash oil, Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO), butane hash oil (BHO) or honey oil. These names can be confusing, especially since they do not refer to the same thing and are not in the same category. All of these can be considered as cannabis oil, but not as THC oil or CBD oil specifically. THC oil, CBD oil, or a combination of the two, should always tell you what the respective THC and CBD contents are. By extracting these THC and CBD cannabinoids to make cannabis oil, you get a higher concentration and a stronger effect for either recreational or medicinal purposes. Cannabis oils for medicinal purposes generally have a CBD content.

Cannabis oil is either made commercially using very expensive equipment or privately. For private use, people use a solvent to extract the cannabinoids. Popular solvents include ethanol, petroleum ether, naphtha, and olive oil. (Recently, studies have shown that naphtha is not the most effective solvent because of of#$!!#$!) Once the cannabinoid oil is extracted, the solvent gets evaporated. CBD is usually extracted and mixed with a carrier oil – often hemp seed or coconut – to create CBD oil.

YES. For more detailed information, look under the PROOF tab. But in summary: not only has cannabis oil succesfully been tested to help manage, alleviate and even reversed certain medical conditions and diseases, but there are NO side-effects to using CBD oil. Cannabis oil will not create a dependence on it (unlike coffee and sugar) – you will not become addicted to CBD oil and if you ever decide to stop using cannabis oil / CBD oil, there will be no withdrawal symptoms or adverse effects. In addition, CDB oil is non-toxic, and does not lead to the impairment of psychomotor and cognitive performance. It is therefore safe to use on a daily basis (even at work). Because of all these positives, cannabis oil products are also completely safe for children (and pets!) to use.

Are there any adverse reactions in humans using CBD oil?

“CBD does not produce the effects that are typically seen with cannabinoids such as THC. It also failed to produce significant effects in a human study of abuse potential…Across a number of controlled and open label trials CBD of the potential therapeutic effects of CBD it is generally well tolerated, with a good safety profile.” It can thus be safely stated that CBD oil is 100% safe with no adverse effects. (WHO Report: 39th ECDD (2017) Agenda item 5.2, Cannabidiol (CBD) p.13)

Is CBD Oil toxic for the human body?

“The potential toxic effects of CBD have been extensively reviewed [49] with a recent update of the literature. [50] In general, CBD has been found to have relatively low toxicity.” It is therefore much safer to use than any of the thousands of pharmaceutical medications with long booklets of actual toxicological issues and side-effects. (WHO Report: 39th ECDD (2017) Agenda item 5.2, Cannabidiol (CBD) p.13,14)

Will I become addicted to CBD oil?

Clinical trials have proven the following: “No studies of the physical dependence potential of CBD in animals were identified.”, “Controlled, human studies regarding the potential physical dependence effects (e.g. withdrawal and tolerance) of cannabidiol have not been reported” – This means that there has not been a single case of someone becoming dependent on CBD.

With regards to the potential for CBD abuse, the WHO Report also stated: “Increased dopamine release in cells of the mesolimbic ventral tegmental area – nucleus accumbens pathway is a common effect characteristic of almost all drugs of abuse. While THC has been shown to increase the firing rate of these cells, cannabidiol had no effect. High doses of CBD in clinical trials using animals, “(10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg) CBD resulted in an elevation of the threshold suggestive of diminished reward activity. This effect is opposite to that of drugs of abuse such as cocaine, methamphetamine and opioids which lower the threshold.” Unlike THC, CBD appears not to exhibit THC-like discriminative stimulus effects. While the number of studies is limited, the evidence from well controlled human experimental research indicates that CBD is not associated with abuse potential.” (WHO Report: 39th ECDD (2017) Agenda item 5.2, Cannabidiol (CBD) p.14)

Will I get “high” from CBD oil?

Because CBD oils are extracted from different strains of the cannabis plant (as opposed to those strains chosen for recreational purposes), the THC content, which causes psychoactive results, are regulated / controlled. Users of CBD oil, will therefore not get “high” as the THC content is either too low, or completely absent.

“Single dose administration of cannabidiol has been evaluated in healthy volunteers using a variety of tests of abuse potential as well as physiological effects in a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial.[39] An orally administered dose of 600mg of CBD did not differ from placebo on the scales of the Addiction Research Centre Inventory, a 16 item Visual Analogue Mood Scale, subjective level of intoxication or psychotic symptoms. In contrast, THC (10mg oral) administration was associated with subjective intoxication and euphoria as well as changes in ARCI scales reflecting sedation and hallucinogenic activity. THC also increased psychotic symptoms and anxiety. While THC increased heart rate, CBD had no physiological effects.” Even when tested on cannabis smokers, (CBD smoked with marijuana), “CBD alone produced no significant psychoactive, cardiovascular or other effects.”

The results of studies “…demonstrated that CBD was placebo-like on all measures (including visual analogue scales, psychomotor performance such as the digit symbol substitution task, heart rate and blood pressure) compared to active cannabis, which produced abuse related subjective effects as well as a range of other effects.” (WHO Report: 39th ECDD (2017) Agenda item 5.2, Cannabidiol (CBD) p.15)

“In experimental models of abuse liability, CBD appears to have little effect on conditioned place preference or intracranial self-stimulation. In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential.” This means that it has been proven that CBD is not a compound that can lead to addiction or abuse. This means it is completely safe from a dependence point of view.

“CBD can be converted to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) under experimental conditions; however, this does not appear to occur to any significant effect in patients undergoing CBD treatment.” CBD use will not lead to a psychotropic effect. Cannabis oil will thus not make you “high”, despite some evidence that CBD can be converted to THC. This conversion can take place in a laboratory (refer to “Conversion in the laboratory, p.10 of the World Health Report on CBD) and in theory, via Spontaneous conversion in the stomach. According to the report: “It has been proposed that the conversion of CBD to delta-9-THC in the presence of acid could occur in the human gut. Such conversion could be of importance if CBD is administered orally. Two in vitro studies have used simulated gastric fluid to demonstrate the potential for this conversion.” The results stated that “The conversion rate of CBD to THC was only 2.9%”, which is a negligible percentage that will not impede motor skills or have any psychoactive results. Also, as the report states: “The predictive value of these in vitro studies for humans administering cannabidiol orally has been questioned as simulated gastric fluid does not exactly replicate physiological conditions in the stomach.” The report further states: “In humans, THC effects are characterised by impairment of psychomotor and cognitive performance, and a range of physical effects including increased heart rate and dry mouth. In general, clinical studies have reported that even high doses of oral CBD do not cause the those effects that are characteristic for THC and for cannabis rich in THC. For example, in a study of healthy volunteers administered 200mg oral CBD, CBD did not produce any impairments of motor or psychomotor performance.[35] A number of other studies involving high doses of CBD were recently summarized by Grotenhermen et al.[34]; they concluded that high doses of oral CBD consistently fail to demonstrate significant effects or demonstrate effects opposite to those of THC.” Cannabis oil is thus safe to use for children and at the workplace, as it will not affect your motor or psychomotor performance. In conclusion, the report states that: “…the gastric conversion and potential THC-like side effects following oral CBD administration, it is very unlikely that oral cannabidiol will be shown to result in THC concentrations sufficient to induce any meaningful effects.”

“To date, there is no evidence of recreational use of CBD or any public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”

“CBD has been demonstrated as an effective treatment of epilepsy in several clinical trials.” And further; “The clinical use of CBD is most advanced in the treatment of epilepsy. In clinical trials, CBD has been demonstrated as an effective treatment for at least some forms of epilepsy…” (WHO Report: 39th ECDD (2017) Agenda item 5.2, Cannabidiol (CBD) p.15) Also in the case of Dravet syndrome: “In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 120 children and young adults with Dravet syndrome were randomly assigned to receive either cannabidiol oral solution (20 mg per kilogram per day) or placebo, in addition to standard antiepileptic treatment (a median of 3.0 drugs). The authors reported that cannabidiol decreased the median frequency of convulsive seizures per month from 12.4 to 5.9, as compared with a decrease from 14.9 to 14.1 with placebo. A small percentage (5%) of patients in the CBD group became seizure free as compared to zero in the placebo group.” More clinical proof can be found for the product EPIDIOLEX® from GW Pharmaceuticals on their clinical trials: “…positive top-line results of the second randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial of EPIDIOLEX® (cannabidiol or CBD) CV in the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of childhood-onset epilepsy. In this trial, EPIDIOLEX, when added to the patient’s current treatment, achieved the primary endpoint of reduction in convulsive seizures for both dose levels (10 mg/kg per day and 20 mg/kg per day) with high statistical significance compared to placebo. Both EPIDIOLEX doses also demonstrated statistically significant improvements on all key secondary endpoints.” http://ir.gwpharm.com/news-releases/news-release-details/gw-pharmaceuticals-announces-second-positive-phase-3-pivotal-0

“…There is also preliminary evidence that CBD may be a useful treatment for a number of other medical conditions.” CBD oil has been tested and has been found to help with diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Hypoxia-ischemia injury, Pain, Psychosis, Anxiety, Depression, Cancer, Nausea, Inflammatory diseases, Rheumatoid arthritis, Infection, Inflammatory bowel and Crohn’s diseases, Cardiovascular diseases, Diabetic complications. (Pisanti, S., et al., Cannabidiol: State of the art and new challenges for therapeutic applications. Pharmacol Ther, 2017. 175: p. 133-150.)

“CBD is generally well tolerated with a good safety profile. Reported adverse effects may be as a result of drug-drug interactions between CBD and patients’ existing medications.” Any adverse affects therefore, are not attributed to the CBD oil, but rather with it’s interactions with other medication.

THE WHO report also stated that “The range of conditions for which CBD has been assessed is diverse, consistent with its neuroprotective, antiepileptic, hypoxia-ischemia, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic, and antitumor properties.” It has therefore been clinically tested on a wide-range of conditions and diseases.

In 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted GW Pharmaceuticals Fast Track designation for intravenous CBD to treat Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (NHIE). The European Commission also granted orphan designation (EU/3/15/1520) for cannabidiol to be used in the treatment of perinatal asphyxia. NHIE and Perinatal Asphyxia are forms of acute or sub-acute brain injury due to asphyxia caused during the birth process and resulting from deprivation of oxygen during birth (hypoxia). Currently there are no other treatments available for these conditions apart from cannabidiol.

A review published in 2017 in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, described how CBD may work to protect the hippocampus — the part of the brain responsible for several important functions, such as learning, memory and navigation — during times of stress, and may also help prevent brain-cell destruction that results from schizophrenia.

According to the World Health Organisation’s report on Cannabis and cannabis resin (2018), “Cannabis can be grown and marketed for either medicinal or recreational purposes. Medical cannabis is produced in several countries. For example, Aurora Cannabis Inc. is one of 26 authorized producers in Canada that also exports its products abroad. In the Netherlands, medicinal cannabis is grown and marketed by Bedrocan B.V. under contract to the Dutch Ministry of Health and made available as the herbal inflorescence in Dutch pharmacies on prescription. Bedrocan B.V. grows six varieties according to a controlled regimen and with a standardized level of three cannabinoids: (–)-trans-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9 -THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN). The Ministry also exports cannabis for medicinal use to Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and Italy, and to authorized researchers around the world. The Italian Stabilimento Chimico Farmaceutico Militare developed the variety FM2, dispensed for medicinal purposes in the national territory.” Many First World Countries have thus already embraced the use of cannabis / CBD oil for medicinal purposes.

Europe already has CBD and THC products on the shelves. Among them are Nabilone, a synthetic compound that mimics THC, that is prescribed for nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. Another product, Sativex, is an oil that contains equal parts THC and CBD, that is used to treat muscle spasms in multiple sclerosis.

In the Netherlands, doctors can prescribe cannabis and cannabis preparations for symptoms caused by multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, long-term pain and the tics associated with Tourette’s syndrome. Other European nations are following suit.

In the US, at least 29 states allow medical uses of cannabis, and earlier this year, California became the eighth state to permit recreational use of the drug, too.

A recent World Health Organisation review concluded that cannabidiol “exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential” but “has been demonstrated as an effective treatment of epilepsy … and may be a useful treatment for a number of other medical conditions.”

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ADHD / ADD problems?

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CBD oil has been proven to help with ADHD, ADD and autism

We want the best for our children. Unfortunately, modern medicine’s answer to ADHD and ADD are drugs with numerous side-effects. CBD oil / cannabis oil however, does not have any of the negative side effects associated with the prescribed ADHD or ADD medications. And it has been proven to help.

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Cannabis oil is truly the wonder cure for just about any ailment. And because it is a natural product, there are no adverse effects. It is 100% safe for the whole family, including your pets!

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CBD oil for pets?

Yes! Because all animals except for insects, have an Endocannabinoid System (ECS), Thus, CBD oil has the exact same medicinal benefits for your pets as it does for you. Click or tap to learn more.

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Schedule an appointment with one of our specialists

If you need more information on your specific condition or ailment, such as which CBD product to use or the specific dosage, please send us a message and we will gladly assist you by scheduling an appointment.

Appointments will be scheduled with T/Dr Susan Meyer Practice nr 0001858/001, who is registered as a Traditional Healer at the African Healers association. She specialises in cannabis treatments and sees patients from her offices in Pretoria.

ADHD / ADD problems?

Does cannabis / CBD help with ADHD and other neurological problems? More research has been done on epilepsy, which does have conclusive proof. However, there is only a little scientific data available to prove that CBD helps with ADHD, ADD, autism and other related neurological disorders. Judging by the amount of testimonials on the internet and the actual results from studies listed here, we can however assume that cannabis oil can help alleviate the symptoms of ADHD, ADD and other neurological disorders. The “proof” that cannabis / CBD does help for those suffering from ADHD can be found in the summaries of reports on ADHD case studies below. Some might argue that it isn’t conclusive proof, but the studies below does make a strong case for the use of cannabis / CBD for ADHD.

The following is a summary of the effectiveness of CBD on 30 different patients with different ailments as presented at the 7th European Workshop on Cannabinoid Research and IACM 8th Conference on Cannabinoids in Medicine, between 17 and 19 September 2015, in Sestri Levante, Italy.

Doctors Milz and Grotenhermen stated that “All the participants experienced better sleep, better concentration, and reduced impulsivity while using the cannabis products.”

Conclusion: For adult patients with ADHD, who experience side effects or do not profit from standard medication, cannabis may be an effective and well-tolerated alternative.

A product called Sativex was administered and it “…was associated with a nominally significant improvement in hyperactivity/impulsivity and a cognitive measure of inhibition, and a trend towards improvement for inattention and EL. Per-protocol effects were higher.”

Findings: Adults with ADHD may represent a subgroup of individuals who experience a reduction of symptoms and no cognitive impairments following cannabinoid use. While not definitive, this study provides preliminary evidence supporting the self-medication theory of cannabis use in ADHD and the need for further studies of the endocannabinoid system in ADHD.

The case: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by attention deficits and an altered activation level. The purpose of this case investigation was to highlight that people withADHD can benefit in some cases from the consumption of THC. A 28-year old male, who showedimproper behaviour and appeared to be very maladjusted and inattentive while sober.

Conclusion: The present case report suggests that individuals suffering from ADHD, a dysfunction with a symptomatic change in activity levels, may – in some cases – benefit from cannabis treatment in that it appears to regulate activation to a level which may be considered optimum for performance. There was evidence, that the consumption of cannabis had a positive impact on performance, behaviour and mental state of the subject.